NSK Challenge;Marching Forever Forward!!!

rosiecheeksblossom

Gretchen - so sorry to hear your news, must be awful, but well done for fessing up to us all. It sounds as tho you have a very supportive family around you and I know everyone of us will back you all the way.
Keep smiling xxx

thriftylass

NSD number 14 today and only 10 days left, might not quite make it then. Need to pay for the bus today (doesn't count as travel budget) as it snowed again heavily.

Don't see myself getting my engagement ring soon . Hubby got paid today but still owes me £250 and didn't get his reimbursement for business costs or his bonus from work yet. Heyho....

Doris65_2

Hi All

Sorry haven't been around for a couple of days, love the pledge, will be attempting to copy and paste it. Your right Kat, this time of the month is make or break for some of us and some of us-me anyway- need a bit of a kick up the a@/!,

This Challenge has really helped me to focus this month and I have worked out my spends v budget, and am ok'ish with them, but it has highlighted where I need to concentrate my efforts next month,

So... Food Budget £234/260,
Petrol £224/200
other £200/100
Petrol and others are over because of poor planning on my part,(and 4 birthdays including my own) and I will do better next month, am fairly pleased with the food as I really don't need anything except milk, my SFD are now at 14/21,

I've loved reading about all of our cats, I am a proud owner of 3 moggies, and don't think that a house is a home with out one.

LAGL one of my Boys had to have ST when he was around 3 1/2,
He loved it and it really helped him,

I'm going to attempted the pledge thing now

Dx

Doris65_2

Hi,



I Doris 65, do hear-by swear to clear my £1097 debt by 31st Dec 2013. I will honour the MSE code of conduct, Will we use it?Is it worth it? Is it cheaper elsewhere? If the answer to any of these is no I won't buy it! This is MY life I am living and no-one else's, I will help myself so that in 9 months, I will be debt free and living entirely for ME. If I don't do this now I will regret it. Here I stand Doris65 fighting the fight for eternal debt freedom.

Dx

Happybeingme

Another sfd for me ~ DS2 still off school and I literally have no money to spend even if I wanted to!

@LAGL I was called into school when DS2 had been there 6 weeks and asked to take him to the Dr as they had 'concerns'. He was diagnosed with Dyspraxia and ADHD. The school have been fabulous. He has had physio and other help since reception. He is now in yr 4 and I have just had the most amazing report for him. They may be considered 'special needs' and have to work extra hard but DS2 is proof that they can still do brilliantly at school. Just give him the love and support he needs and he will go far.

@Gretchen2012 I understand how you feel about having to confess and get help. My mum relocated up North last month and in January (before she moved) I had to confess to her how much I owed and was struggling to pay. She very kindly lent me £4000 to clear the debt on the understanding that I sort myself out, get savings behind me and never, ever get myself into that sort of mess again. We've agreed that I will pay her back £100 a month although we haven't set up the S/O yet. If I keep to my budget I know I can make overpayments and clear it much sooner than planned. I have set up savings accounts but am struggling to get money into them as the children seem to constantly need new shoes, clothes, money for school trips, college travel etc, etc, etc. I only have a cleaning job at the moment so that brings in a little money. I do some work for a friend but that isn't regular. I'm hoping with help and support on here I can reach my goals sooner but it is so hard at times and I constantly have the need to make myself feel better (which is stupid cos thats what got me into debt in the first place?!)

Keep smiling ~ we'll get there!!

Happybeingme

Oh and I'm also hoping to start a book-keeping course in Sept ~ once DS2 leaves primary school the plan is to get a half decent job.............

thriftylass

Done my numbers for April already. I never seem to make my budgets despite now wasting hardly any money and thinking about every spend. I went through the receipts and my notes etc and realised I just set my targets to tight as I always seem to go over my budgets a similar amount each month since i tightened the belt. So my numbers for next month will be slightly higher (not giving me extra to spend just a more realistic number) but I hope to finally get the feeling of staying within budget without feeling I cheated. Plus I will still be able to put away money and then it might really be able stay there rather then being taken out again because I underestimated my grocery bill. See how it goes next month and then I'll try to reduce it slowly again to get to the true number.

NinjaSavingKat

Good Afternoon to you all....

I don't know why I am so tired but it was a real struggle to get up and going today. I started late at work so will be here until 1900-1930.

I have just caught up on all the posts and am so proud of you all.

Yes the pledge might seem silly. It might seem like Money Saving Anonymous. But what else were you expecting?

I warned you all on the front page that this challenge was not going to be easy, but you still signed up. You have pledged and shared your debt levels - which I think is vital! Saying it in your head is very different to seeing it in black and white on a screen where hundreds of others can see it. It's painful, shameful, annoying, irritating and scary. But being this open allows to be a little more honest with how you might be living - I know it helps me more than anything to write it on here and I actually think to myself in an SM "if I buy this I am going to have to confess to the chickadees".....:p

So a MASSIVE thank you to all ofyou willing to play the game, realise that others reading your posts are standing behind you cheering :j:j:j and you are NOT alone...

Gretchen - well done on the confession. You have been given an interest free life-line. Your Aunty clearly trusts and loves you very much. It will be hard getting the money paid off but you are on the right track and should be mighty proud of yourself!

Happy - I would like to do a book-keeping course as well this year. To be able to do something on the side with work but the world of finance (as difficult as it will be ) is becoming very interesting for me.

Angelpye - well done on facing what's coming your way! I realised recently I need to start putting £75 away each onth ON TOP of everything else to pay for my bike insurance and MOT/Tax in November. Then I get to pay for £400 of repairs/new tyres etc in a month. GREAT!

RosieCheeks - am itching to read that link. Thank you for that!

Sarah147 - I know how you feel about eBay. I can't wait for the day when I have nothing more to sell. It's so annoying at times - I listed 6 items last night (probably why I am so tired - bed at midnight!)..but they have watchers already so something is working. Can't wait to hear how your's all turn out!!

Stoplurking - very excited to see lump sum's and how much your debt comes down! Is that through work or re-payments for things?


:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Now I know I have left a few folk out but everyone's post and comments have been read and re-read. I am so glad people are still in a great frame of mind heading towards the end of the month (and payday)..

April for me has been budgetted @ £2964. :eek:..but this includes a 7-day holiday to Italy, paying for my own Birthday Party, Sponsoring my brothers visit to London and a house move/cat paraphanalia. With Amazon having credited my account with £62 worth of trade-in books, £130 to be returned from the "company that booted me out", £140 from Mummy towards the land loan and the horrendous amount of overtime I should resurface in May with £443 to my name ( fingers crossed ).. excluding eBay money...

I think I need to do some re-calculating but it's going to be very busy and very expensive! **Groan**..

Onwards and Upwards!

his_missus

Hello all!

Gretchen - at one point I had a £7500 loan and £6,000 of CC debt. My minimum repayments ate up over half my wage and I thought I'd never escape. But in 3 months time I intend to be debt free. Well done on confessing to your mum, that takes bravery. We haven't told our parents about our debts.

Vets bill came to £98 in all. Quite impressed that even though I estimated £70 for it, I actually had £99 left over from my wage after everything had been budgetted for so I can afford it without any worry. Poor kitty was still a bit groggy when we picked her up - she was staggering like she'd had a few too many vodkas! I spoiled her and gave her half a tin of tuna for her tea and the other half this morning as she was sulking she couldn't go out with the others.

Hubby'll just have to have salad butties for his lunch tomorrow

karmachilovething

Afternoon all!

I think I miscaluclated my pledge yesterday. I posted DFD of July 2015, and then only counted months to July 2014 :rotfl: But I was so encouraged by the idea of being DF in 15 months I think I will try and stick to that. We'll see how it goes . . .

Yesterday was a SFD, but today is not - getting my gotee seen to. Sorry to bring that up again :rotfl: